BaseballMercer rallies to take series

GREENVILLE — Mercer overcame deficits in both games to take a doubleheader at East Carolina on Friday.

The Bears (16-4) trailed 7-5 in the first game before coming back for a 10-7 win.

Bryce Harman’s two-run single to left center in the bottom of the sixth scored Travis Watkins and Turner Brown to give the Pirates a 4-2 lead in the second game before Mercer rallied for a 7-5 victory.

Spencer Brickhouse had a solo homer to right in the bottom of the second inning in the second game to tie the score at 1 and Wesley Phillips singled to score Eric Tyler later in the frame for a 2-1 ECU advantage.

A four-run seventh for the Bears proved decisive in the second game. Hunter Bening and Ryan Hagan had RBI doubles in the seventh sandwiched around a two-run single by Alex Hanson.

Zach Graveno (2-0) pitched one and two-thirds innings of relief in the second game for the win. Joe Ingle (3-1), who took the mound in the seventh, absorbed his first loss of the season as the Pirates slipped to 13-6.

Brown went 3-for-5 in the second game and Tyler was 2-for-3.

Freshman right-hander Trey Benton started the second game for the Pirates and struck out eight over six innings. He allowed five hits, three runs (all earned) and one walk.

Danny Edgeworth had a pair of doubles and an RBI in the second game for the Bears.

The Pirates brought the tying run to the plate after a single by Drew Henrickson in the ninth but Kevin Coulter picked up his first save.

Mercer scored three runs in the top of the ninth for a 10-7 win in the first game. J.T. Thomas had a two-run homer to left to break a tie at 7 and Edgeworth had a run-scoring single.

Matt Bridges (0-1) took the loss for the Pirates and Robert Broom (2-1) got the win.

Thomas had a two-run double in the seventh that tied the score at 7. Thomas went 4-for-4 with three runs and six RBIs. He had a two-run homer in the second.

The Pirates had a 16-11 lead in hits in the opener but stranded 13 compared to nine for the visitors.

Brickhouse went 3-for-5 for ECU with a two-run homer in the fifth.

Charlie Yorgen, Brown and Watkins each had two hits with an RBI. T.J. Riles was 2-for-4 with a double. Dusty Baker was 2-for-5. Harman went 1-for-3, drew two walks and scored a run.

The series schedule was revised with the threat of rain today. The third game is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.